Stueve Stories (Our Egg Blog)

Shell eggs broken totaled 200 million dozen during June 2016, up 4 percent from June a year ago, and 1 percent above the 197 million broken during the previous month.

During calendar year 2016, shell eggs broken totaled 1,108 million dozen, up 1 percent from 2015. Cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2016 was 1.42 billion pounds, up 1 percent from 2015

It takes a happy family to raise chickens

Egg prices have plunged to their lowest in a decade as poultry farms have recovered from last year’s bird flu outbreak, which wiped out 48 million birds across the U.S.

The bird flu aftermath also continues to haunt manufacturers in the egg business. In the latest reported quarter, Post reported a 15.9% decline in egg volumes sold through its Michael Foods segment due to a reduction in the company’s egg supply for sale. But through an adjusted pricing strategy, egg dollar sales fell only 2.9%.

Now is the time to use biodynamic eggs in your bakery – know your farmer – know your eggs.

Sourcing 100% cage-free eggs has become a popular trend among food manufacturers that use eggs in their products. But aviaries, the most common industrial cage-free alternative for housing egg-laying hens, bear their own risks and problems for the hens, employees and the environment, according to a new report from the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply.

In aviary systems, hen mortality is higher than traditional battery cages because it is easier for the hens to spread germs. Hens in this environment also tend to become more aggressive, including pecking at one another or even becoming cannibalistic.

Aviaries can also increase health risks for employees who care for the hens and collect the eggs. This included being exposed to higher ammonia concentrations, dust levels and particulate matter emissions in the air, which can cause respiratory issues for workers.

A decade-plus effort by organic farmers, animal welfare advocates, and consumer groups to guarantee humane treatment of farm animals in the burgeoning organic food industry could be derailed this weekby a one-page rider slipped into a congressional appropriations bill.

The law would eliminate all funding for a stricter new regulation proposed by the Obama administration intended to guarantee that the organic-in-every-respect egg is, in fact, as advertised.

Even though it still makes up just a tiny fraction of the overall egg market, the growth in organic egg sales has been nothing short of explosive. From 2014 to 2015, when total egg sales in the U.S. were down 1.1 percent, organic egg sales increased an astonishing 119.8 percent, according to data from Euromonitor, proving that consumers will indeed pay a premium for what they think is a better product. read more – http://bloom.bg/1YFfsyi